William Faulkner #8211; Barn Burning

William Faulkner #8211; Barn Burning Barn Burning is a short story that was written by an American author- William Faulkner. Faulkner has brought out a mysterious characterization of Snopes.   It is a story that has ten year old Sarty Snopes as the main character who is faced by a conflict. Sarty’s father is a barn burner and he is divided as to whether he should let it to the judges that his father faces on two different occasions. In the first case, his father is taken to court and charged with burning Mr. Harrys barn. Even though he is guilty, he walks away scot free and the bad thing about it is that it is not the first and is not going to be the last barn he burns as we see in the story later. It is an injustice and he wishes that he could stop it, but on the other hand, he should protect the family name. this brings out the basis upon which the story rotates. The stors main theme is a conflict in which Sarty has to find which one among his family and his community he should identify with. Abner Snopes, Sartys father keeps on reminding him that family relations are very important and that he was getting to be a man. He got to learn to stick to his own blood or he wont have any blood to sticking to him (Main story: p 3) the major theme in the book is about finding ones identity, or choosing what to identify with. There is constant identity crisis. The book presents Sarty with two opposing choices. He can choose to side with his father because they are related by blood or choose to be loyal to the justice system in the community. Sarty knows very well that his father does burn barns and he does not advocate for his great injustice that the owners of the barns are subject to but his father keeps on drumming the fact that he has to take only the sides of his blood relatives. In his own opinion, we see that he argues that they are the ones who can side with you in all circumstances. In his statement earlier referred to, he adds that those people in the court were not going to side with him even if Sarty would have decided to testify against him. (Main story: p.3)   this idea of being loyal to the family members is evidently something that the boy must have been taught from a very early age because, even before the father reminds him that there was no need for him to go testifying in court against his father to bring about justic e, he had already set the court people as enemies in his mind, He fiercely aligns himself with a loyalty to blood as opposed to the justice of the court: †¦ our enemy/he thought in that despair; ourne/ mine and his both!/†¦ (Main story: p.1) Another instance where he shows his allegiance to the loyalty of the family is when he fights with other two boys because they ridicule him and heir father, they call him a barn burner. Although it might be clear that he lived in terror and fear of his father, he cannot just stand the soiling of both his father’s and his own name. (Main story: p.2). in the process of fighting, he is hurt, this shows the sacrifice he would make to ensure that he protects his family name, irregardless of whether they are on the wrong. This presents a great contrast to the fact that had the judge not dismissed him, he would have testified against his father.   When confronted by the father, Sarty does not hide the fact that he had been planning to tell the truth, and his father slaps him. At this point, we might be driven to think that his loyalty is imposed on him by his father. He admits to us that when his father told him that they just wanted to get him because he had beat them, had he answ ered that what they wanted was simply justice and the truth, he would have hit him again. So he preferred to keep quiet. After this incident, the judge is forced to find Snopes innocent despite the fact that he has been responsible for burning more than one barn. We see that in the area where the people do farming, so much importance is attached to barns which are the store houses in the area. He does not burn farm houses. However, he is issued with an order to leave the country for a neighboring country immediately. Young Sarty is faced with such a difficult choice. He can either choose to side with his father pledging his allegiance to blood ties, or choose to be just and reject his father’s evil deeds. In their new home, their landlord is a certain Major de Spain.   We see the way Snopes starts manipulating the situation to make Sarty aware that he is watching him this time. The statement †¦the man that aims to begin to-morrow owning my body and soul for the next eight months†¦ might just be an indication of the sorry life that he lives, such that he feels obligated to teach his son, Sarty to always side with him in his endeavors. It could just be a way of saying that other people will always make him be under their control and either he plans to control his son in turn to be his slave as he finds strength in having at least someone who is obedient to him. When Snopes takes Sarty along for a walk, we see clearly what the wish of young Sarty is. The wish that his father changes is seen by the way he figures the fact that his father will be able to change now that he has come to these rich mens mansion. Major de Spains house, according to Sarty is comparable to a place of law: Hit’s as big as a court house. (Main story: p.4) this emphasizes the theme of justice. He thinks that the splendor that the mansion displays will change his father. . (Commentary: p. 2). This was reason enough for Sarty to experience some peace, as highlighted in the second page of the commentary. This demonstrates the hopes that the boy has, he believes that his father will change so that at least he would not have to side with injustices. Unfortunately, it seems to be disillusionment, something that you dream about but never really happens. The father’s stiff black back represents rigidity that Sarty cannot fathom. He is not just about to abandon his illegal activity of barn burning. He derives some pleasure in it and cannot just quit.   The many stiff attribute of this man show a lot of rigidity. The radiance of the mansion is something very inconsequential to his bad habits. The rigidity that Sarty finally realizes that the father possesses motivates him to pursue a different line of identity. He figures out that the father has potential to change but he is stringent in avoiding it. The horse droppings incidence tells it all. He deliberately steps on it so he can dirty Major de Spains rug. He is always seeking trouble as his poor boy wishes that he changes his behavior. It was beyond his belief that his father would be unjust so deliberately. He is an evil character. His being wounded in the Civil War, has made him a bitter man, so he throws it about to other people blindly especially those who oppose him, or pose threats to him. How he knew those who do that to him is not clear. For instance, in Mr. Harris case, he had made an effort to help him when he thought that was what was needed- a roll of barbed wire, but the reaction was the same and by any chance, he was humiliated.   Maybe, Snopes must have been a very disturbed man. His name itself begun w ith a sn sound, an unpleasant sound. A silent and sullen man, walked with a limp. This is very handy when we come to learn that he had received the wound while stealing horses while he was still young.(Commentary: p. 2) After the house incidence that would have been a booster to the change of Sarty, we see him once more in the payment of some money to de Spain for having destroyed his carpet. Father and son team up and decide to ensure that they will not pay, due to the snobbish tone that Major de Spain tells his father that he cannot afford a hundred dollars. Ha asks for twenty bushels, that they both agree, with Sarty insisting that it was unfair and that they wont pay. However, Sarty does that in what is supposedly a mission to ensure that the father does is prevented from burning de Spains barn.   It looks like a derailment tactic. He feels bad that the father had been defeated but this is ironical since he is supporting an injustice because he imagines it is mild, in his opinion, as he argues that the de Spain is so unfair. He is irritated that Mr. de Spain dismisses his father that he cannot get a hundred dollars. Unluckily, even this does not seem to set his fathers mind from planning to bu rn the barn. This is the time when they clash so badly and the father is so visibly angry at all of them, for trying to stop him from burning de Spain’s barn. Sparty explanation for his fathers mystery of burning burns and yet he builds very little fires at the camp, see the provision of a very questionable explanation. Fire is his weapon of maintaining integrity as well as hitting back at his enemies. The use of fire is his one and only source of power to be used selectively and effectively should anyone cross his path thus anger him. (Commentary: p.3). It is however mysterious that he builds very small fires at the camp and yet he strikes his enemies with fire. His having been in the army at a certain time might have been the reason why he uses small fires for cover up. When Mr. de Spain tells his father to pay the twenty bushels, Sarty knows for a fact that if he is made to pay de Spain, he will surely burn his barn again. He goes to court and almost reveals the secret in an attempt to defend his father. He thinks that they are accusing him of something, not knowing that he was the plaintiff. Sarty is caught off guard this time by his fathers intension to burn Mr. de Spains barn. He even tries to delay his plan by suggesting the sending of someone to warn Mr. de Spin that his barn will be burned but his father already knows what he stands for and won’t let his plan fail. Despite the mothers effort to restrain him from going, he struggles with her and ensures that he defeats her. His aunt supports his course and even threatens to go if his mother does not let him go. Even his mother sides with him, that making the three of them against one. His problem is not abnormal after all. He frees himself and takes off towards Mr. de Spains house. He does the only sensible thing that crosses his mind, he reports to Mr. Spain who runs to the farm and shoots towards that direction. As the story ends, we do not know whether Sarty’s father is alive, but seemingly, it is too late. This time, the community justice overtook the loyalty to the family. As he sits in the crest o f the hill and thinks about exactly what happened, Sarty is just sad, maybe because he has lost his family and will have to start a new life on his own. He will no longer be bound to the family ties that he was so much bound to that all his decisions depended on it. It’s a whole new beginning for him. He is presented with a world where he does not know anything and will have to learn all things, but there is hope. Nothing binds him to support injustices. He has all the justice within reach, he can keep his dignity. A new world is set for him. Even Snopes himself suffers the identity crisis problem. Only that could explain the reason why he was always trying to hurt other people or trying to make so many enemies. Even in the war, we are told that he did not fight along any side. Even though he makes his sons life so difficult so that the son lives in constant fear and despair, he suffers more than Sarty does. He has not done anything to make people appreciate him, but is always trying to identify his enemies and destroy them. In his own opinion, he might not even be having friends, to identify with. In another light however, we find that the theme that the narrator tries to bring out is self eliminatory, if one of either sides is achieved, the other is eliminated. The author must have been aiming to eliminate the traditional views of Snopes that saw him making his son a slave to family support. If Sarty had chosen to be loyal to his father, he would never have tried to save the situation. Probably he would have ended up like his father since he would be an accomplice to the evil things that he did. On the other hand, we see Snopes having been made to be something we cannot quite conceive. It is quite difficult to imagine a man would be bad enough to force his son live in captivity of having to side with his illegal deeds. We also do not expect him to be the one suing Mr. de Spain. He had wronged him by marring his rug, and the best he would do was wait for him to be the one taking him to court. In short, the author tried to manipulate the characters in an extra ordinary way to c ome up this theme. It’s also interesting how the racial issues have been brought out. As much as Snopes sees himself as a person looked down upon, he knows that he has one up above the niggers. Thats the reason why he dismisses the butler when he tries to stop him at the door to get into the de Spain’s mansion. Though slightly brought out, the racial discrimination brought about sends us back to history. Its a historical representation. At least, apart from the fact that there were such issues (racial) one would think that that was all that there was in this land. It shows that even the whites had their own troubles to deal with. In conclusion, we see that the author went a long way to bring out the theme of identity crisis. Creation of stereotypes was the tactic he found most appropriate to do so. He bundles one person with all the negative characters so that he could be a barrier for the main character to have a crisis. In addition, we see that the story is mostly told from Sartys point of view so that we are being led to feel sorry for him. Though the author deviates to get into historical events that might have occurred in the main characters absence, the rest of the story revolves around him such that he does not use any other characters perspective that would bring different light to the whole story. This might have been done to speed up the development of the theme. Otherwise the theme has been clearly outlined.

Avenue Q Musical Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Avenue Q Musical - Movie Review Example The use of puppets in the musical is one of the distinguishing features of the show in that it brings to the fore pressing social issues and deeming them imperative. The irreverent humor that the puppets bring forth is a form of subversion that cannot be successfully conveyed through the use of human actors. Through the memorable puppet characters that parody characters from Sesame Street, issues such as racism and homosexuality are trivialized and mocked but in turn delineate the problem, making it less solemn as it sends a more serious message to the audience - that tackling them is never a taboo. For instance, the characters of Rod and Nicky were contextually extricated from Sesame Street's Bert and Ernie with some hints of the latter's characteristics. However, Rod is a conservative gay Republican as compared to Nicky who is lighthearted and a slack. In addition, although intended mainly for humor, the naked puppet characters that replete the stage is meant to ridicule the emphas is on 'sex and nudity' by contemporary culture and the raunchiness brought about by the media and the entertainment industry. The media's assault on our senses is symbolic through the nudity of the puppets - implying that we are all defenseless from the claws of the media's influences. This is an effective utilization of puppets as characters as it removes the danger of the musical being labeled as obscene or pornographic. Allusion is also employed in the musical in order to tackle important issues that confront young people. The main character, Princeton, is an allusion to a university. In the play, after he finishes his degree in college, he moves to the city to pursue and find his purpose. Princeton confronts the seemingly philosophical question of finding one's purpose - a quandary that most young people in the contemporary society find an answer to. Princeton quips, 'what do you do with a BA in English' Yet he is resolved to find his purpose. After being tempted and seduced by 'Lucy,' the busty attractive girl who caused the fall out in Princeton's relationship with his on and off girlfriend, Kate Monster, Princeton undergoes a process of soul-searching and finally resolves to help Kate fund the construction of a new school to improve early education (Mintz 25:2008). The use of these allusions effectively confronts issues such as education and its importance. The issue with regards the getting of lucrative careers by young people from reputable universities is likewise alluded to through the dilemmas that Princeton faces on which path to take. With young people in the contemporary society mainly laying their eyes on moneymaking, the fortification of the culture of greed and consumerism in the American culture is preserved causing more problems as a result because of the disillusionment of the young adults. Moreover, the humor-filled tunes in the musical are not just intended solely for hilarity. These are employed in order to tackle sensitive subjects and issues not commonly incorporated in our daily conversations - topics that we find too touchy to confront. The songs such as 'If I Were Gay', 'Schadenfreude', 'The Internet is for Porn' and 'Everyone is a Bit Racist' defy many of our opinion with regards the issues on homosexuality,

The influence of Hip Hop culture on middle eastern youth Essay

The influence of Hip Hop culture on middle eastern youth - Essay Example The consequent influence of hip hop culture on Middle East youth seeps into religion and society through the music. The hip hop culture offers a harmonious contradiction of values for Middle East youth through dress code, music, image, hip hop artistes, militarism and sexuality.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   From the debut of hip hop in the 1960's through the Civil Rights Movement, proponents of Afro-centric culture were either sworn Muslims or had Muslim sympathies. Malcolm X aka el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz, Amiri Baraka, Muhammad Ali, Elijah Muhammad, Talib Kweli, Oshea Jackson aka Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg Brad Terrence Jordan aka Scarface, Mos Def, Q-Tip aka Fareed Kamal, Akhenaton, Busta Rhymes, Nas ne Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones and Queen Latifah are a few widely known names. "The best place for a young Black male or female is in the Nation of Islam. (As) soon as we as a people use our knowledge of self to our advantage, we will then be able to be called Blacks" (Decker 53). Here, popular rapper, hip hop representative and professed Muslim, Ice Cube observes the link between cultural identity through Black Nationalism and hip hop. Hip hop is well-known for its violent tendencies and some sects of Islam are notorious for their militancy. The predisposition toward violence and holy war or jihad conveniently fits hip hip within the framework of Islam. Although, hip hop does not belong solely to Blacks, the majority of hip hoppers are of African American origin. â€Å"Hip hop and rap cannot be viewed simply as an expression of African American culture; it has become a vehicle for global youth affiliations and a tool for reworking local identities all over the world" (Mitchell 1). The all-encompassing effect of globalization can be felt in all countries, absorbing all cultures. The phenomenon of the entry of hip hop into Middle East mainstream music is as a result of Black Muslims who proudly celebrated their identities and waged their wars of words both on the stage and the world stage. One of the pioneers of Black Muslim hip hop is the group, Soldiers of Allah, lyrical jihadis who declare, 'The mic is our weapon, our words are our ammunition, and the stage is our battle field.' This is the objective of Muslim hip-hop group, M-Team, which is short for Mujahideen Team (Miah 26). Again the Muslim word warriors highlight the themes of violence, jihadism and holy warfare. The Muslim holy warfare agrees with the hip hop gangster culture which applauds shootings, turf conflicts, and gang wars in urban neighborhoods. Unfortunately, globalization has brought in its trail mostly American hip hop culture; therefore the hip hop dress, the hip hop slang, drug dependency, partying, liberal sex culture, and some the hip hop doctrines become endorsed by the world of listeners. At the same time, hip hop has been frequently used as an open arena to voice social subjects such as  racial identity, racial discrimination, politics, history and religion. Turkey, Saud i Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Jordan and Yemen are all Middle East countries which shelters an underground hip hop culture. Censorships muffle hip hoppers and rappers to a certain extent; however, the technological breakthrough of the internet broke down and continues to erode walls which block the internet audience from hearing Muslim hip hop lyrics. Owing to the heterogeneous mixture of both the religious and the secular in Muslim hip hop, a new genre of music emerged.   Ã‚   "Youths use hip hop as a cultural repertoire from

To Kill a Mockingbird Moral Essay Example for Free

To Kill a Mockingbird Moral Essay The depth behind this novel is too see how Scout has progressed throughout the course of two years. Slowly but surely, she realizes the life lessons that have been waiting for her all along. She does this with the help of her family and her community. One man importantly sticks out the most, and his name is Arthur Radley, but Scout and the children like to call him Boo. Lee incorporated Mr. Radley to really show Scout the important lessons of life through the experiences and the encounters she faces with him, while also helping her grow into maturity. In the beginning, Atticus says â€Å"You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view –until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.† (Lee 30). Boo Radley helps Scout realize the lesson her father is trying to teach her in a copious amount of ways. First off, the children believe that Boo Radley is the child-eating monster, when in reality he is not. He turns out to be quite the opposite to Scouts suprise. Boo does this by leaving the pennies and bubblegum in the hollow of the tree for Scout and Jem as a gift, yet not revealing that it was him. Also, when Scout, Jem, and Dill all try to peep into the Radley house, Jem gets his pants stuck on the fence and Boo sews them back up for him. Surprised, yet still weary of Boo, Scout still hasnt completely walked around in Boos skin for her to see what a good person he is yet. When Miss Maudies house catches on fire that cold night, Boo comes up behind Scout and puts a blanket on her. Scout in fear pays no attention to the blanket and runs away. Even though Scout doesnt recognize the kind acts that Boo is paying her, all these things help her realize the lessons of the novel at the end. If it werent for Boo and his encounters with Scout, she wouldnt understand the meaning of stepping into someone else shoes, and seeing things from their point of view. The second lesson that Boo helps teach Scout is the meaning of a mockingbird, and how a mockingbird can be the personality and heart of a person. Mockingbirds are the only birds that Jem and Scout arent allowed to shoot with the rifle by Atticuss words because it is a sin to kill a mockingbird. Miss Maudie explains this later by saying Mockingbirds dont do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They dont eat up peoples gardens, dont nest in corncribs, they dont do but one thing but sing their hearts out for us. Thats why its a sin to kill a mockingbird. (Lee 10). This correlates to when Bob Ewell tries to murder Jem and Scout, until Boo saves them and winds up killing Mr. Ewell himself. Later, the Sheiff explains that he does not want to make Boo out to be a hero or publicize him, so they use a cover story instead. The Sheriff knew this would be a bad idea because he is such a recluse, and doesnt want him to have to justify himself to the public and face ridicule. Atticus explains this to Scout, and she says she understands because it would be like shooting a mockingbird. At this point the maturity is shown and she has just applied one of the lessons, thanks to Boo Radley. She realizes that Boo has never actually harmed someone (opposite to the rumors) and has done nothing but looked out for her. She now realizes that people can be mockingbirds too. At the very end of the novel, when Scout walks Boo home across the street, she is standing on his porch. She remembers what her father said about standing in someone elses shoes and she says Just standing on the Radley porch was enough. (Lee 31). From his perspective she can see the town and her house right across the street from it. She realizes how he protected them and watched out for them. If it wasnt for Boo, she wouldve never started looking through the grown-up perspective. The lessons that Atticus was trying to teach her wouldnt have been applied, and Scout wouldnt know how a person could symbolize a mockingbird. She says to Atticus he was real nice and Atticus replies Most people are, Scout, once you finally see them. (Lee 31). Works Cited Page: To Kill a Mockingbird. Goodreads. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Feb. 2013. To Kill a Mockingbird Study Guide Essays. To Kill a Mockingbird Study Guide Literature Essays. N.p., 1999. Web. 06 Feb. 2013. To Kill a Mockingbird. Goodreads. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Feb. 2013

Free Essays - Response to Kingstons Woman Warrior :: Maxine Hong Kingston Woman Warrior Essays

A Response to Kingston's Woman Warrior Sometimes, I must admit, I look at my mother and wonder where she is coming from, what in the world she is thinking, and why does she act the way she does. I can not possibly be like her because, as I tell myself, if I catch on to her weird behavior now, I will be able to catch it in myself before it is "too late." The funny thing is that I am sure that she did and still does the same thing in regards to her own mother. What is even worse is that I see my mother becoming like her own mother, despite my mother's hopes that she is not like my grandmother. Does this, then, mean that I am going to be like my mother or that I am already like her? Why does this thought frighten me? Kingston herself seems to be struggling with these questions as she writes The Woman Warrior. In the chapter "At the Western Palace" she is writing largely from her mother's perspective and, through this process, perhaps learning more about the way in which she behaved as a child towards her mother. Her mother frequently tries to compliment her children yet all that they do is run away, leave to go to another room. It is as if they can not be bothered by their own mother's words, the pride that she has for them. Instead of reveling in her words and love, they want to hide, to protect themselves from her words, from having to deal with her. What must it have been like for Kingston to have to write this about herself, to realize the ways in which her words and actions have distanced herself from her mother? But then Kingston's own words continue to make the mother seem like the outsider, the one who was different from everyone else, making her mother appear again as the one who is the ghost. The children, even her own husband, merely appeared to humor her, making no effort to want to learn about the Chinese culture and therefore not caring to know about their own mother. How often have we done the same with our own mothers, not bothering to talk to her, merely humoring her because we can not be bothered to make the time to really care about what she wants?

Misrepresentation of african american women Essay

African American women have historically been viewed as hyper-sexual creatures, due to unique anatomical features not often seen in other races. This hyper-sexualized view of Black women dates back as early as the days of slavery when European imperialists traveled to Africa and were excessively intrigued by (and abashedly attracted to) the women in the tribes. Europeans were in awe of the physique of African women, comparable to none, as well as their dancing and traditional garments. Europeans unfamiliarity with a body type that is not unusual amongst African women resulted in a projection of hyper-sexuality onto Black women that did not truly exist and has been hard for Black women around the world to rid themselves of. Saartjie [Sara] Baartman, also known as the â€Å"Hottentot Venus,† became the blueprint for degrading and humiliating the Black woman on a worldwide level. Saartjie Baartman was a South African born woman who was enslaved by a Dutch farmer near the city of Cape Town. Her master was approached by traveling Europeans to travel to Europe to have her body examined and put on display. In 1810, Saartjie’s master informed her that she would be free and assume fortune and fame in order to persuade her to leave his plantation for the sideshow act she would unknowingly become in. It was this promise that led to Saartjie’s willingness to travel to Europe. Saartjie traveled to England and upon her arrival, she was placed on public display, often times in a cage, so her large buttocks and breast could be observed by hundreds of curious Englishman. These invasive spectators were recorded as laughing at her, calling her names, and throwing items at her. Saartjie’s body was so spectacular and strange to Europeans that medical students were able to use her for scientific research. She was again sold from England to a French circus to dance in the nude as entertainment and was one the main attractions. Saartjie never enjoyed the freedom she was promised and turned to alcohol to cope with her humiliation and entered prostitution to support her when she was no longer necessary as a side show attraction. She died in 1815, only five years after her arrival to Europe. Saartjie’s humiliation did not end with her death. She died of unidentified disease in France and her body was turned over to a museum. Her brain, vagina, and her skeleton were removed from her body, preserved and put on display. Her frameless body was then preserved in such a way that she stood erect as well. Her body was eventually buried in France but the parts removed from her body remained on display in a French museum until 1974. The displays were removed that year and replaced with casts of Saartjie’s confiscated body parts. Saartjie Baartman’s humiliating enslavement marks the beginning of the Black woman’s degradation. She could be considered the first â€Å"video-vixen model. † However, culture has changed such that women willingly dance erotically while scantily clad or totally nude, whereas Saartjie was forced. This willingness has transformed the way the Black woman is viewed and the way the Black woman views herself. The manner in which Saartjie Baartman was treated is indicative of European attitudes about Black women and African standards of beauty. Saartjie was renowned for her physique, which Europeans responded to Saartjie as an object with disgust, intrigue, sexual attraction, and condescension. The removal of her organs indicates a perverse obsession with the body of the African woman. This attitude about the Black woman’s body has persisted, taking on new faces as culture changes and pop culture emerged. Media images of Black women have long been degrading, unflattering, and/or extreme. Black women have specific functional roles in the media: typically and most often as Jezebel, Mammie, and the welfare mom. The Jezebel stereotype of the hyper-sexual, manipulative Black woman is more prevalent and more widely seen in the media from television, movies, magazines, and music videos. It is the Jezebel who is the African American woman who is not ashamed to take off her clothes in exchange for things she may need. The music industry especially popularizes strippers and video models as an acceptable and desirable occupation for a Black woman. Not only do majority of hip-hop lyrics degrade women to the lowest level that a woman can be degraded, but the music videos take special care to degrade the black woman even more. Rap music videos depict a false image of what a real woman looks like in reality: â€Å"music videos have gotten so raunchy they might as well be pornography, presenting a hyper-sexual depiction of women that distorts and demeans the image of black women in particular. Even in the tamer videos, women might as well be prostitutes. They are objects, part of the bling-bling, like the platinum chains and diamonds sported by rappers† (Daily Review 7/4/04). It is just in this way that Saartjie Baartman was displayed and responded to and it is in the way Black women have been consistently considered: as objects of sexual exploitation. Hip hop music has become explosively popular in the US and much of the rest of the world in the last twenty years. Hip hop music influences larger society in powerful ways and has become a subculture that has transcended race, socioeconomics, and gender. Its popularity and ability to transcend across many social lines that are usually impenetrable is the biggest threat to the perception of Black women by others and by themselves. When leaders like President Barack Obama and other prominent politicians reference lines from popular rap songs, they are often received with admiration and excitement by the media and larger public. Such a response from a pop culture reference reveals hip hop music’s ability to influence culture on a magnanimous level. Hip hop music is an industry run by men, with overwhelmingly male artists who provide entertainment for other men. In this understanding of the industry, the images of women presented through this massively popular music are exclusively chosen by men. Additionally, hip hop music tends to sell a lifestyle and not just a song or beats. As was previously discussed in the quote from Daily Review, expensive material things and several beautiful and naked women are things to achieve and obtain. An object is for use of some kind and the hip hop music industry has single handedly crystallized the developing notion that women in general are objects for sexual pleasure exclusively. This idea is particularly harmful for Black women and girls in the face of a media that has very few other images of Black women. White women are of course objectified and hyper-sexualized in the same manner, but the damage of such objectification is buffered by other images of a range of professional White women, heroines in film and television, prominent White actresses, politicians, businesswomen, journalists, etc â€Å"Historically, white women, as a category, were portrayed as models of self-respect, self-control, and modesty – even sexual purity, but black women were often portrayed as innately promiscuous, even predatory. This depiction of black women is signified by the name Jezebel† (Pilgram, 2002). Black women and girls have very few other images to measure themselves against or look to for motivation or encouragement. These pervasive images of the Black woman as a promiscuous and manipulative Jezebel juxtaposed with the lack of other, more positive images, is extremely damaging to the Black woman’s self-esteem. These images also inform others of how to perceive and ultimately treat Black women, which is further corrosive to the Black woman’s self-esteem. As if the power that images tend to have on the human psyche were not enough, hip hop music also incorporates lyrics that correspond to the tone of disrespect for Black women. Negative epithets that refer to a woman’s sexual and social behavior like â€Å"ho† and â€Å"bitch† are common, frequent, and acceptable in hip hop lyrics and serve to further denigrate Black women. Often, rappers and fans alike make excuses for the disturbing images and lyrics featured in songs and videos, expressing that the women featured in the videos are working of their own volition and are not being objectified. While the women of these videos are participating of their own volition, the degrading lyrics and the degrading images are not negated just because the women are choosing to participate. The message being sent is still clear and ubiquitous: Black women are objects of sexual gratification that do not have to be spoken to or spoken of as human beings. Viewers are influenced by these images and lyrics and are encouraged to develop erroneous ideas about and monolithic perception of Black women. Additionally, because other, more positive images of Black women are missing in the media, viewers are left with little real information about the Black woman’s experience, life, and character. Hip hop music has also set the standard of presentation for female rappers as well. Female rappers who have debuted in the last 20 years invoke the power the same sexual images and presentations as the male rappers do. More recent female rap artists like Nikki Minaj have amplified the hyper-sexual stereotype about Black women with her sexually charged lyrics, provocative style of dress, and various implants to enlarge her breasts and buttocks, looking not unlike Saartjie Baartman and the many beautiful women of Africa. Artists who pre-date Nikki Minaj, like Lil’ Kim and Foxy Brown, debuted in a similar fashion, using their sexuality through lyrics and risque media poses in which they were almost always scantily clad, to propel their careers. These female rappers only serve to further push the music industry’s agenda to denigrate women, Black women in particular, by buying into and proudly displaying the very stereotypical behaviors that function to keep hyper-sexualized images of Black women in the minds of viewers. Female rappers serve the same purpose as those women dancing in hip hop videos: to push the sexual agenda of a sexist music industry. However, the message delivered through female rappers is pronounced solely due to the fact that the artist is a female who is promoting a hegemonic patriarchal message. The sexual nature of hip hop in general is made more acceptable if the objects of sexual exploitation, women, also become hip hop stars. Lastly, the current female hip hop stars are adopting images of beauty from childhood icons such as Barbie, as is the case with Nikki Minaj. The adaptation of Barbie for the purpose of hip hop is a clear indication that there is an agenda to capture all viewers’ minds to believe the images they are presented with about Black women. The most effectual approach to challenging the erroneous and negative images of Black women in the media is for those who are aware and knowledgeable to expose the falsehoods of the pervasive stereotypes and ideas about Black women. Bibliography Frith, Susan. â€Å"Searching for Sara Baartman. † Johns Hopkins Magazine, June 2009. http://www. jhu. edu/jhumag/0609web/sara. html (accessed April 20, 2013). â€Å"The Hottentot Venus. † Accessed April 22, 2013. http://whgbetc. com/mind/hottentot_venus_emory. html. Payton, Brenda. â€Å"Sorority Sisters Combat Explotiative Rap Images. † Daily Review (Hayward, CA). 4 July 2004. Pilgrim , David. â€Å"Jezebel. † Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia. . http://www. ferris. edu/jimcrow/jezebel. htm (accessed April 23, 2013). Clemlyn-Ann , Pollydore, and Jennifer A. Richeson. â€Å"Affective Reactions of African-American Students to Stereotypical and Counterstereotypical Images of Blacks in the Media.. † Journal of Black Psychology. no. 3 (2002): 261-275. Simmonds, Felly Nkweto. â€Å"’She’s Gotta Have It’: The Representation of Black Female Sexuality on Film. † Feminist Review. (1988): 10-22. http://www. jstor. org/discover/10. 2307/1395143? uid=3739936&uid=2129&uid=2&uid=70&uid=4&uid=3739256&sid=21102132644181 (accessed April 22, 2013).

Human Trafficking Is The Exploitation Of Men, Women, And...

Human Trafficking is the exploitation of men, women, and children in order to gain a monetary benefit from the involuntary sex acts the victims are forced to commit. Trafficking rings are usually run by one pimp or a family of pimps that charm the victim by offering them a better future of love and promise. However, this life does not consist of those charming promises. As the testimonies below will show, human trafficking may be stated as a good monetary business and life choice, but instead, trafficking violates human rights and leaves victims isolated from those who love them, and rejected by the world that does little to protect them. Slavery allows for humans to be treated as objects; the slave is given no rights. This act was†¦show more content†¦Rape is one of the harsh punishments the women face. One trafficker, Tajuan, explains how she and others were forced to watch her best friend get raped as way of proving that punishment would happen if quota was not met (Calhoun 2). The same trafficker shares stories of others and herself being starved, being forced to take drugs, or being killed (Calhoun 2). In one instance, Tajuan said, â€Å" In the next eleven years, I worked for many traffickers; I’ve been left for dead. I still have a scar where my throat was cut with a straight razor† (Calhoun 2). All of these acts violate human rights given in Article Five of the United States Constitution: â€Å"No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment† (youthforhumanrights.org). All human beings should have the right to walk away from the tor ture or get help for relief, but in some cases, it is not that easy. Many victims share the same story as Tajuan when asked â€Å"why can you not just walk away?† Tajuan’s reply is like many others; she could not escape because it was the only life she knew. The struggle for protection, food, and no other way to make a living is what prevents the victims from escaping the life of human trafficking. â€Å"You feel as if you have nowhere to go† (Calhoun 2). No one commits to inhumane treatment willingly. DSS To Help Teen Sex Slaves claims that seventy percent of human trafficking victims are runaways (1). Most sex traffickers are promised